Miserable hamster-nothing makes him happy

irishdancer · 02-03-2015, 09:58 AM

So I've had my hamster Chewie (Star Wars, not the behavior, haha) for a couple of months now. I let him out of his cage, he has toys and chew materials, and he is handled often. He never seems happy with any of that. He tries to escape the play area I place him in and doesn't seem satisfied with his surroundings. He does chew the wood materials and cardboard tubes. He is just a miserable little hamster and I don't know what else to do. I'm not enjoying him anymore and his bar chewing and escape attempts are driving me crazy. My rats do not do these things. He is in the same room with them, though on the other side of the room.
Suggestions are most welcome. I have read hamster books and many forums on enhancing play areas and things of that nature. Can I do something to make him happier?

Thin Lizzy · 02-05-2015, 06:53 AM

Hi and welcome to the forum.
What size of cage have you got him in?
What sort of toys do you have?
Hamsters aren't miserable.

cypher · 02-05-2015, 07:16 AM

Hi & welcome irishdancer

I'm also wondering what kind of cage you have & how big it is, if you can tell us a bit more or post a photo we may be able to help more with suggestions,
It's natural for them to want to escape the play area, they're just natural explorers! Try to use toys, tubes, boxes & things you can hide the odd little treat or small bits of food in, not a lot but enough to get Chewie interested & give him something to hunt around for, that might help.
There are some good ideas in this thread that may help with distracting him from chewing the bars in his cage & help keep him more occupied with what's in his cage rather what's outside it!
Managing Bar Chewers
You could try scatter feeding too, that helps keep them busy & happy.

irishdancer · 02-06-2015, 09:28 AM

This is his cage. I know, I know, not the best, but I don't have the money or floor space for anything bigger right now. I just connected the Crittertrail to the other cage a few days ago. He has tubes, chew toys, things to hide in, a wheel (although I'm thinking about getting something bigger or just without the thing in the middle). I can't put the cage in another room due to space problems and I really don't trust my mother-in-law's cat; she has been known to push the door open and go in at night.
Also, Chewie is cute, so I uploaded his picture too.
Thanks for the advice.

Gatsby · 02-06-2015, 10:09 AM

Aww he does look sad, like Eeyore.

I would reccomend a new cage. Mamble rat 100. The little friends Grosvenor of the Alaska.
These cages are around £40, check eBay, Amazon and zooplus.

Hamsters like lots of floor space to run around. A 28cm wheel for Syrian.

What type and make of substrate do you use? What type of bedding?
Where do you keep the cage? Is it too hot or draughty?
How much time a day do you spend talking to him?
How long do you give him in the ball or outside cage?
What diet do you feed him?
Is there anyone that is too noisey or harasses him? That goes for other animals too.
Has the hamster had a bad experience?
How are you with the hamster? Body language, handling etc?

Its just a case of removing the variable's, process of elimination to enrich his life.

If you can answer all these questions it will help us

cypher · 02-06-2015, 10:16 AM

I'd agree with Gatsby that he's be better off in a different cage with more floor space, if you can't afford to buy one could you have a go at making a big bin cage, the set up you have now is wasting a lot of the floor space you do have to use so a big bin or cage with larger floor space would be a better option.

RubyDG · 02-06-2015, 10:33 AM

If your budget can't stretch to another cage you could look at making a bin cage. You would probably spend £20 or less on it for the bin and materials (the Ikea Samla bin is popular). The bin cage shouldn't take up more floor space than what you are already using with your current cages side by side and you could then put one of your current cages on top and connect it to the bin cage with tubes.

Here's the forum's sticky on how to make a bin cage : Mosrael's Cage / Bin Cage Tutorial. Make a point of reading through the whole thread, various forum members have added some good tips and tricks. If you're going to stack one of your current cages on top I'd put in some side meshed 'windows' instead of meshing the lid, this will also let you see him better. ErinsAnimals also has a youtube video on how to make a bin cage : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09Ev...FaNV7&index=13

I do agree with what Gatsby is saying. You're going to have to go through everything to try and narrow down what is causing his behavior. Unfortunately with animals it's sometimes a guessing game. The best thing I think is to start with Gatsby's questions and see what you can do to improve his housing.

EDIT: Oops - looks like cypher beat me to it :P

racinghamster · 02-06-2015, 10:49 AM

He doesn't look well is he okay? It could just be the photo but he looks a bit subdued?

I agree the caging needs to be more floor orientated as those tall vertical tubes are not ideal. If he`s bar chewing, the answer to that is a tank-style cage. Zoozone or large Bin cage.

I wouldn`t trust any cats so your right to keep him in the room he is in, albeit annoying if he makes a noise as hamsters do tend to come live when we go to sleep!!!

You may find that once he has a larger floor space, a big shoe box to sleep in (believe it or not this does help settle them) and a good sized wheel, he may not crave so much attention. x

Thin Lizzy · 02-06-2015, 07:15 PM

He does look very subdued.
That's one unhappy hamster. The sooner you get bigger space for him the better.

Nancy's Hamsters · 02-06-2015, 11:36 PM

I have to agree with RH in that in the Photo of him he looks very ill with eyes a bit sunk in and his fur all puffed up which usually means a cold hamster or and ill one. He also looks a bit dehydrated in the photo too. I would check to be sure his water bottle is flowing freely as he may be licking the sipper but no water is coming out. If the wheel he has is the one which comes with the Critter Trail it is far to small for a Syrian. A bigger 8 inch wheel would be much better for him. If you like the connecting cage look you could do a Bin cage and attach the bar cage to it giving him much needed floor space but still have his nesting bar cage.